Copyright By Carol Leigh Beahm 2015 Depositional Environment of the Basal Etchegoin Formation within the Poso Creek Oil Field, Kern County, California A Thesis By Carol Beahm Submitted to the Department of Geological Sciences, California State University Bakersfield In partial fulfillment of the requirements of the degree of Masters of Geology Fall 2015 Depositional Environment of the Basal Etchegoin Formation within the Poso Creek Oil Field, Kern County, California By Carol Beahm This thesis has been accepted on behalf of the Department of Geological Science by the members of the supervisory committee: ' ' Dr. Janice Gillespie Committee Chair J Committee Kenneth Frost, Linn Energy Committee Member Acknowledgements I owe much to Linn Energy (formerly Berry Petroleum) for allowing me the use of their data, resources, and time for the completion of this paper. In particular, I would like to thank my Asset Manager, Greg Wagner, for not becoming entirely too impatient during the course of time spent on this project and for encouraging me and directing me all the way through. I would also like to thank Ken Frost for acting as a geologic mentor and thesis advisor for these many years. I would like to thank my professors Jan Gillespie and Rob Negrini. Not only for serving as committee members, but for being my advisors and mentors for over a decade now and for giving me much of the geologic knowledge I have today. The Well Repository at CSUB provided the core data necessary for this project. This is a wonderful source for any local geologic study. And a special dedication to my family. To my children, Porter (5 yrs) and Annabelle (2 yrs), who probably do not realize that this project has been occurring their entire lives. And to my parents, Terry and Cathy Register, and my parents-in-law, Kevin and Marion Beahm, for babysitting while I had class or needed time to study or write. And, last but not least, my husband, whom, I’m sure did something….If anything, for not letting me quit (either this program or my job). TABLE OF CONTENTS ABSTRACT………………………………………………………………………………………1 INTRODUCTION……………………………………………………………………………….2 Location…………………………………………………………………………………...2 Statement of Problem……………………………………………………………………...4 Background………………………………………………………………………………..4 Stratigraphy………………………………………………………………………………...4 Age……………………………………………………………………………………..……8 Tectonic Regime………………………………………………………………….11 Depositional Environment……………………………………………………….13 Sea Level Fluctuation……………………………………………………………16 Provenance and Sediment Influx……………………………………………………….17 Structure and Tectonism………………………………………………………………...18 Lithology…………………………………………………………………………….….…20 Electric Log Response………………………………………………………………...…20 METHODOLOGY……………………………………………………………………………..21 Cores…………………………………………………………………………………..…21 Electric Log Correlation…………………………………………………………………24 Mapping………………………………………………………………………………….26 RESULTS……………………………………………………………………………………….28 Core Description…………………………………………………………………………28 Chanac………………………………………………………………………………….…30 Lower Basal Etchegoin……………………………………………………………….…31 Facies 1…………………………………………………………………..32 Facies 2…………………………………………………………………..34 Upper Basal Etchegoin………………………………………………………….…35 B Sand………………………………………………………………………………..……36 Macoma Claystone………………………………………………………………………36 Maps…………...................................................................................................................36 Structure Maps……………………………………………………………………..36 Isochore Maps………………………………………………………………………40 Lower Basal Etchegoin (LBE)………………………………………..….40 Upper Basal Etchegoin (UBE)…………………………………………...45 B Sand……………………………………………………………………47 Macoma Claystone…………………………………………………….…48 DISCUSSION………………………………………………………………..………………….50 Depositional Environments……………………………………………………………....51 Lower Basal Etchegoin (LBE)……………………………………………………...51 Upper Basal Etchegoin (UBE) and B Sand……………………………………...56 Macoma Claystone………………………………………………………………………60 CONCLUSION…………………………………………………………………………………60 REFERENCES……………………………………………………………….…………………75 LIST OF FIGURE FIGURE 1: Location map showing the San Joaquin Valley in California with its surrounding PAGE 2 mountains, Bakersfield, the Bakersfield Arch, and the study area FIGURE 2: Oil field map of T 27S, R 27E, Mount Diablo, CA PAGE 3 FIGURE 3: Generalized stratigraphy of the southern San Joaquin Valley PAGE 5 FIGURE 4: Type Log of the Middle Miocene through Pleistocene Formations in Poso Creek Oil PAGE 7 Field FIGURE 5: Generalized cross section of the southern San Joaquin Valley. Cross section is to the PAGE 9 south of the study area FIGURE 6: Type log showing the Upper Basal Etchegoin (UBE) and Lower Basal Etchegoin PAGE 10 (LBE) subdivisions of the Basal Etchegoin, from McVan 31R, T 27S, R 27E, Sec14 FIGURE 7: Paleogeography of the SJB PAGE 12 FIGURE 8: Paleogeography of the SJB at 5.3 Ma, early Pliocene, showing depositonal PAGE 14 environments of the Etchegoin Formation FIGURE 9: Map showing fault trends and ages of last displacement on faults, along with PAGE 19 sedimentological ages FIGURE 10: Location map of the cores viewed in this study PAGE 22 FIGURE 11: Type Log used in the Kern Front Oil Field area showing the B Sand underlying the PAGE 25 Macoma Claystone FIGURE 12: Cross plots from the three best conventional cores in the study. Demonstrates PAGE 27 correlation of spontaneous potential (SP), gamma ray (GR) and the deep resistivity (RD) curve AHT90 electric logs with grain size. FIGURE 13: Examples of the variations in electric log signatures that were mapped PAGE 28 FIGURE 14: Photograph of the core showing a bed containing shell fragments and calcite cement PAGE 30 from 1178.7 to 1179 ft in Poso 16 FIGURE 15: Electric log cross section showing contrast between marine Etchegoin Formation PAGE 31 electric log signatures and underlying fluvial log signatures of the Chanac Formation FIGURE 16: Generalized, composite sketch of grain size trends and sedimentary structures of the PAGE 33 Basal Etchegoin FIGURE 17: Cross plots from Poso 16 between grain size phi units and electric log values showing PAGE 37 correlations to facies determination FIGURE 18: Structure map of the top of LBE PAGE 38 FIGURE 19: Stratigraphic cross section A-A’ displaying the westward thickening of the Macoma PAGE 39 Claystone and the LBE FIGURE 20: Gross interval isochore map of the LBE PAGE 40 FIGURE 21: Isochore map of the LBE Facies 1 PAGE 41 FIGURE 22: Isochore map of LBE Facies 2 PAGE 42 FIGURE 23: Electric log signatures plotted against the isochore map of the LBE Facies 1 PAGE 43 FIGURE 24: Electric log signatures plotted against the isochore map of the LBE Facies 2 PAGE 44 FIGURE 25: Gross interval isochore map of the UBE PAGE 45 FIGURE 26: Isochore map of the UBE net sand PAGE 46 FIGURE 27: Electric log signatures plotted against the net sand isochore map of the UBE PAGE 47 FIGURE 28: Gross isochore map of the B PAGE 48 FIGURE 29: Stratigraphic cross section B-B’ displaying the B Sand grading into the Macoma PAGE 49 Claystone to the north FIGURE 30: Isochore map of the Macoma Claystone PAGE 50 FIGURE 31: Chart displaying frequency of sedimentary characteristics within each subdivision of PAGE 52 the LBE FIGURE 32: Macro-scale depositional facies reconstruction of the LBE deltaic sands with inserts PAGE 55 of Facies 1 isochore and Facies 2 isochore FIGURE 33: Macro-scale depositional facies reconstruction of the barrier island and lagoonal PAGE 59 sands and gross isochore map of the UBE and the B Sand LIST OF APPENDICES Core descriptions and electric logs for individual wells APPENDIX A PAGE 62 Identification and characterization of depositional facies APPENDIX B PAGE 68 Deltas PAGE 69 Barriers PAGE 72 ABSTRACT Grain size, lithology, and sedimentary structures of the Miocene/Pliocene basal Etchegoin Formation were described from cores within the southeastern edge of the San Joaquin Basin, north of Bakersfield, CA for depositional environment analysis. Lithological facies established from the cores were correlated to electric log signatures from oil wells within the area (e.g., fining upward, coarsening upward). Each electric log signature was mapped as a specific well symbol. Electric log correlations for the top and bottom of each subunit within the Basal Etchegoin were also used to construct structure, gross isochore, and net facies isochore maps. The isochore maps and the relative positioning of the electric log signatures supports the depositional environment shown in core as well as provide depositional facies between and outside of core locations. Overall, the basal Etchegoin represents a transgressive sequence. Four stratigraphic units and three sedimentary facies were correlated and mapped. Facies from the lowermost stratigraphic unit, the Lower Basal Etchegoin, represent deposits ranging from the prodelta to the lower delta plain of a tide dominated delta. Facies from the overlying units, the Upper Basal Etchegoin and B Sand, are representative of a barrier island and lagoonal system, respectively. The fourth and uppermost unit, the Macoma Claystone, is an offshore marine deposit that completes the transgressive sequence. 1 INTRODUCTION Location The southern San Joaquin basin of California contains a large number of oil and gas reservoirs as a result of its organic-rich source rocks coupled with complex stratigraphy and tectonic activity that formed abundant stratigraphic and structural traps. Due to their economic value, there is great interest in increased geological understanding of the sands that form these reservoirs. There is also a large amount of